Mid-South Memories: June 8

Michael McMullan/The Commercial Appeal files
Patriotic display
John Walsh and his neighbors in the Duntreath Home Owners Association expressed their patriotism in the Germantown subdivision’s annual Flag Day parade on June 8, 1991.

June 8

25 years ago: 1988

America’s air transportation system is seriously overloaded and faces a crisis unless new and larger airports are built, T. Allan McArtor, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, said in Memphis Tuesday.

“We can’t handle current traffic as well as we should,” McArtor said. Eighteen of the nation’s airports are “seriously congested,” he said. “The simple, indisputable fact is that we are fast running out of places to put our airliners, places to park them, service them, load them and unload them.”

McArtor, a former executive for Federal Express Corp., made the remarks during a speech to 500 members of the Memphis Rotary Club.

50 years ago: 1963

They admired the modern architecture of the brand new 5½ million dollar Memphis Metropolitan Airport terminal. Despite temperatures in the mid-90s, they sat out in the sun an hour yesterday afternoon during the terminal dedication, with an enthusiasm often becoming vocal. It was obvious that for most of the crowd — estimated by Police Chief J.C. Macdonald at about 5,000 — the big attraction was the dedication speaker, Adlai Stevenson, United States ambassador to the United Nations.

75 years ago: 1938

Miss Margaret Brooks of Lexington, Tenn., is the “most womanly woman” at State Teachers College and the women at the school themselves said it yesterday when they awarded her a diamond locket at the graduation exercises.

100 years ago: 1913

Jackson, Tenn. — Beginning this month the eight aldermen of the city will receive $10 a month for their services. In the past they have not been paid anything. The mayor’s salary has been $100 a month for the past year.

125 years ago: 1888

Virtually every orchard is being denuded of its juicy fruits by bands of boys. The police are on the lookout for the youngsters but by the time the officers stop the boys the fruit is being digested.